1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to apparatuses for use in processing security documents and particularly to apparatuses for processing lottery game tickets.
2. Background of the Prior Art
"Scratch-off" lottery games continue to grow in popularity. These games have become an important source of revenue for national, state, and local governments throughout the world.
While there are hundreds of different styles of these games, there are characteristics common to the majority of scratch-off lottery game tickets manufactured. The majority of scratch-off lottery game tickets manufactured have topside and bottomside surfaces, an identification code bar code symbol formed on one of the surfaces, at least one "play area" formed on one of the surfaces, and scratch-off material formed over the play area. In playing a game, a user scratches off at least some of the scratch-off material to reveal indicia icons of the play area. In most scratch-off lottery games, the ticket is previously designated as a winner or nonwinner independent of where scratch-off material is removed. These games are known as "instant" ticket lottery games. In more sophisticated scratch-off lottery games known as "probability" games, the win/loss status of a game is dependent at least in part on the areas of a ticket where scratch-off material is removed.
As popular as scratch-off lottery game tickets have become, their popularity has been limited by two major problems. The first major problem is that present methods for processing such tickets after play are inefficient. The second major problem is fraud.
According to one popular method for processing a scratch-off lottery game ticket, the game ticket is validated (verified as a winning ticket) by reading the identification code bar code symbol on the ticket with use of a hand-held bar code reader to determine the identification code of a ticket, then the identification code is manually punched into a computer, which processes the identification code to determine if the ticket is a winner. This process is subject to failure by key entry error, and in addition is time consuming. Speed is an important factor in the processing of game tickets considering that game tickets are processed in convenience stores or grocery stores whose successful business depends to a large extent on the speed with which customers can be successfully serviced.
With regard to the problem of fraud, fraudulent schemes involving lottery game tickets are oftentimes carried out by persons authorized to handle the tickets prior to their official sale. Such persons may be for example, employees of a game ticket manufacturer, employees of a ticket distributor, convenience or grocery store sales clerks, or store owners. These persons are herein referred to as "agents" of lottery game ticket sales or ticket agents. Ticket agents have been observed to employ various "peeking" techniques to determine the form of indicia icons of a play area and therefore the win/loss status of game tickets prior to their sale in order to separate winning tickets from losing tickets before playing known winning tickets or selectively selling known winning tickets to themselves or to an accomplice. In probability games, the peeking schemes can be carried out by game players to determine which sections of scratch-off material need to be removed in order to make a game ticket a winning ticket.
Several types of "peeking" fraudulent schemes involve "tampering" of game tickets. In a tampering scheme, a ticket agent or probability game player determines the win/loss status of a ticket by removing at least a portion of scratch-off material from a game ticket to determine the form of indicia icons of a play area.
In other peeking schemes, a ticket agent or probability game player attempts to determine the win/loss status of a game ticket without tampering with or materially altering the game ticket.
Existing manufacturing techniques for making lottery tickets, and techniques for processing them cannot adequately prevent peeking fraud schemes such as those described from being successfully carried out. Fortunately, to some extent peeking schemes carried out by ticket agents can be checked by controlling the packaging and distribution of such tickets and by tracking winning tickets. Therefore, "instant" lottery games (wherein the win/loss status of a ticket is determined at the time the ticket is manufactured) remain viable in spite of the persistence of peeking schemes.
To Probability type lottery games (wherein the win/loss status of a ticket depends in part on the areas of the scratch-off material which are removed) will not become viable, however, until substantially all of the possible peeking schemes can either be adequately prevented or adequately detected. Making viable probability type scratch-off lottery games would be expected to enhance the enjoyment derived from the playing of scratch-off lottery games, and therefore the popularity and revenue generating capacity of such games.
In addition to peeking schemes, scratch-off lottery ticket gaming industry is threatened by the problem of counterfeiting of game tickets by ticket agents and game players. In a common counterfeiting scheme involving instant game tickets, parts of winning tickets are fraudulently combined with parts of losing tickets to construct counterfeit winning tickets. According to one popular scheme, the identification code bar code symbol (or copy thereof) from a winning ticket is attached to a losing ticket. In a probability game, indicia icons can be transported from one ticket to another to create the appearance of a winning ticket having the appropriate combination of icons indicating a winning ticket.
There is a need for an apparatus for processing lottery game tickets more quickly than is possible with current methods. There is also a need for improved game ticket structures, processing methods and apparatuses for preventing or detecting the peeking into the form of indicia icons of a game ticket, and for preventing or detecting the construction of counterfeit game tickets.